Ruth Hinshaw Spray (February 16, 1848 – February 26, 1929) was an American peace activist. Spray was prominent as a teacher in the public schools and work for the protection of children and animals. She was also active in the work of child labor organizations and in the international peace cause,

Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program th ...

(WCTU), Retail Clerks' Association, and other associations for public welfare.

Early life and education

Ruth Hinshaw was born in

Mooresville, Indiana Mooresville is a town in Brown Township, Morgan County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 9,326. History Mooresville was founded in 1824 by Samuel Moore, and named for him. A post office has been in op ...

, February 16, 1848. Her parents were Benjamin and Nancy (Carter) Hinshaw. She was educated in the public schools at

Indianola, Iowa Indianola is a city in Warren County, Iowa, United States, located south of downtown Des Moines, Iowa. The population was 15,833 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. Indianola is home to the National Balloon ...

, and as student there in

Simpson College Simpson College is a private Methodist liberal arts college in Indianola, Iowa. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and has about 1,250 full-time and 300 part-time students. In addition to the Indianola residential campus, Simpso ...

. She graduated from

Earlham College Earlham College is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quaker values such as integrity, a commitment to peace and social ...

Richmond, Indiana Richmond is a city in eastern Wayne County, Indiana. Bordering the state of Ohio, it is the county seat of Wayne County and is part of the Dayton, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 36,812. Situa ...

(B.S., 1874).

Career

Spray served as a preceptress and teacher at the Raisin Valley Seminary,

Adrian, Michigan Adrian is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Lenawee County. The population was 20,645 at the 2020 census. Adrian lies in Michigan's 7th congressional district. History Adrian was founded on June 18, 1826 by Addison Co ...

, from 1874 to 1877. She then taught history and English in Penn College,

Oskaloosa, Iowa Oskaloosa is a city in, and the county seat of, Mahaska County, Iowa, United States. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Oskaloosa was a national center of bituminous coal mining. The population was 11,558 in the 2020 U.S. Cens ...

, from 1877 until 1880. She was an Officer of Colorado State Bureau of Child and Animal Protection. She was actively engaged in the work for international peace. She was a member of the Universal Peace Union, and she served as vice-president of the

American Peace Society The American Peace Society is a pacifist group founded upon the initiative of William Ladd, in New York City, May 8, 1828. It was formed by the merging of many state and local societies, from New York, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, of ...

for 16 years. She was also State superintendent of Peace and Arbitration for the

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

WCTU, and district president of the 12th Colorado District WCTU. Spray was a delegate to the International Peace Congress, held in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, 1904. She worked continuously for international peace, getting hundreds of petitions before the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

and other petitions sent to U.S. delegates to each of the two Hague Conferences and by wide distribution of peace literature. Since 1902, Spray worked to get the teachers of Colorado to take up the subject of international peace, and many schools of Colorado were thus induced to teach the subject and to observe May 18 as International Peace Day. After Spray became a resident of

Salida, Colorado The City of Salida ( ; spanish language, Spanish: , "exit") is the Colorado municipalities#Statutory city, Statutory city that is the county seat and the List of cities and towns in Colorado, most populous municipality of Chaffee County, Colorado ...

, she served as president of the Tuesday Evening Club. During those years, the club built the Salida Public Library, with Spray leading that movement. She was a member of the Colorado Woman Suffrage Association, the

Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

, and the Board of Trustees of the Salida Public Library. Since 1900, she was an officer of the Colorado State Bureau of Child and Animal Protection, working with marked results in the interest of neglected and abused children.

Personal life

In Indianola, Iowa, on December 28, 1880, she married Samuel J. Spray, of

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

. They had one daughter, Mrs. Mary E. Spray Moon,

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. In politics, she was Independent. Ruth Hinshaw Spray died February 26, 1929, and was buried in Salida, Colorado. Her papers are held by Earlham College.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spray, Ruth Hinshaw 1848 births 1929 deaths American anti-war activists Woman's Christian Temperance Union people People from Mooresville, Indiana Simpson College alumni Earlham College alumni William Penn University faculty People from Salida, Colorado